Manufacture of reinforced shoe bottom units



July 18, 1939- J. M WHELT'ON O 2,166,421

MANUFACTURE OF REINFORCED SHOE BOTTOM UNITS Filed Feb. 4, 1958 Patented July 1s, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANUFACTUREI OF REINFORCE-l)I SHOEv BOTTOM UNITS Application February 4, 1938, Serial No. 188,643

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of reinforced shoe bottom units and is herein illustrated with reference to insole units of the type wherein a reinforcing piece is secured to and covers the upper or foot-facing side of the shank portion of the insole.

In the manufacture of shoes having reinforced insole units it is. Well known that the upper side of the unit should correspond or bear a definite predetermined relation to that of the last bottom in the shank portion of the shoe, and that the opposite lateral margins of the shank portion of the insole unit should be beveled at the lower or outsole-facing side of the unit to insure that the lines of the last shall be faithfully reproduced in the shoe and that the heightwise curve of the upper shall blend or merge gradually with the transverse curvature of the shoe bottom. In cases where the reinforcing piece is applied to the lower side of the insole it has been the practice to secure the desired marginal contour and beveled edge formation of the insole unit merely by initially shaping the insoles to correspond to the contour of the last bottom, as. by designing an insole pattern of the required shape and cutting the insole to correspond to the pattern, and thereafter beveling the edges of the units in their shank portions without' changing the edge contour at the upper side of the insole. However, if the reinforcing piece is applied to the upper side of the insole, it is the edge contour of the reinforcing piece rather than that of the insole which is critical in the shank portion of the unit and which should correspond to that of the last bottom. In such cases the practice heretofore has been to preshape the reinforcing pieces (as by die-cutting or rounding operations) and, after securing the reinforcing pieces to the insoles, to

bevel the lateral edges of the shank portions of the units thus produced at the lower sides of the units. This procedure, however, is time consuming and expensive inasmuch as it involves the cutting out of a reinforcing piece of a different size for each size and width of insole to be used and the keeping on hand of a large stock of reinforcing pieces of a full run of sizes and widths.

One object of the present invention is to reduce substantially the time and expense involved in the manufacture of reinforced insole units of the type last referred to while still insuring the desired accuracy in the shape of the reinforcing pieces.

With this object in view the present invention provides an improved method of making reinforced insole units which, as herein illustrated, involves providing an insole and a shank reinforcing piece which is wider than, or at least as wide as, the shank portion of the insole, assembling and securing together 'these parts with 5 the reinforcing piece covering the upper side of the shank and heel portions of the insole, and beveling` the opposite lateral margins of the reinforcing piece and of the shank portion of the insole at the lower sides of said parts while utilizing the unbeveled shank portions of the insole to locate the beveling cuts so as to impart to the reinforcing piece lateral edge contours corresponding to the original lateral edge contours of the insole.

In the practice of this method a plurality of reinforcing pieces of the same size may be provided for use with a plurality of insoles of different sizes, all the reinforcing pieces being of a size to coverthe heel and shank portions of the largest insole. Then, after securing the insoles and the reinforcing pieces together with each reinforcing piece covering the heel and shank portion of an insole (and projecting more or less beyond the edges of the insoles except perhaps in the case of the largest insole), the lateral margins of the resulting insole units are trimmed or beveled in such a manner as to reduce the size of the shank and heel portions of the insoles while imparting to the reinforcing pieces lateral edge contours corresponding to the original lateral edge contours of the respective insoles. This method results in a substantial saving in time inasmuch as it eliminates the inconvenience and expense involved in initially cutting out the re- 3- inforcing pieces so as to provide a different size for each size of insole and last.

As herein illustrated, a relatively narrow, lon gitudinally curved shank stiffener is interposed between the insole and the reinforcing piece and the insole and the reinforcing piece are molded to arch their shank portions in conformity with the longitudinal curvature of the corresponding part of the bottom of the last with which they are to be used. As also illustrated, the shank stiffener is curved transversely to a substantial extent in order to strengthen it (or it may be ribbed for that purpose) and when the insole is molded it is arched transversely to conform to the transverse arch, or ribbed formation, of the shank stiffener and thus the insole after being molded will be narrower in its shank portion than before it was molded.

In order that the insole, after being molded, shall have an edge contour in its shank portion which will correspond exactly to that of the last bottom, or of the insole pattern for that last, so that the reinforcing piece which is to be trimmed to a contour corresponding to that of the molded insole shall have the desired critical edge contour, the insole, as herein illustrated, is initially cut with excess width in its shank portion (or, in other words, the shank portion of the insole is cut wider than the shank portion of the last bottom or wider than the shank portion of a normal insole pattern for that last) to allow for the subsequent reduction in width resulting from the molding operation as above described. Thus after the insole has been molded its shank portion will correspond in width and edge contour to that of the last bottom, or of the insole pattern for that last, so that by gaging the beveling o the insole unit from the edge of the molded insole, at a point in advance of where the bevellng takes place, the reinforcing piece may be accurately beveled to the required critical edge contour even though the shank portion of the insole is reduced in width as a result of the beveling operation.

'I'he invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an edge view of a stack of heel and shank reinforcing pieces for use in the manufacture of my improved insole units;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of a stack of insoles for use in making the units;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the insoles;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of an insole unit as it appears after the parts have been molded but before the shank and heel portions of the unit have been trimmed;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insole unit illustrating the operation of molding the insole and the reinforcing piece;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the component parts of an insole unit as they appear after having been assembled between the forms of the mold;

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional View of the shank portion of an insole unit as it appears after having been molded but before being trimmed;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the unit on an enlarged scale illustrating the operation of trimming its shank and heel portions;

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the unit illustrating the trimming operation;

Fig. l0 is a cross-sectional view of the shank portion of the completed unit; and

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View of a lasted shoe in which the insole unit is embodied.

In the practice of my improved method I provide a plurality of heel and shank reinforcing pieces I6, all of which may be of the same size, as indicated in Fig. 1, for assembly with a plurality of insoles I8 which, as indicated in Fig. 2, may be of different sizes, and I provide, also, a plurality of relatively narrow metallic shank stiffeners 20 which are longitudinally curved to correspond to the longitudinal curvature in the shank portions of the bottoms of the lasts which are to be employed in the making of the shoes, the shank stiffeners having also a substantial amount of transverse curvature. The transverse curvature of the shank stiffeners may extend from one lateral edge to the other, as indicated in the drawing, or it may be in the form of a central longitudinal rib, the curvature in either case being for the purpose of stiffening or strengthening the stiffeners. As shown, a single spur 22 may be struck up from the rear portion of each of the shank stiifeners for use in attaching the stiffeners to the insoles.

The heel and shank reinforcing pieces IB are cut out, as by die-cutting or rounding operations, from any suitable stiff material, such as leatherbioard or fiberboard, the pieces being cut at least large enough to cover the shank and heel portion of the largest insole to be used. Thus, all the reinforcing pieces may be cut by the same die or rounded to the same pattern. The insoles may be died out or rounded to shape and size and each insole is cut somewhat wider through its shank portion than necessary to t the bottom of a last of the same size and width as the insole to allow for such narrowing of the shank portion of the insole as will occur when it is molded into conformity with the transverse curvature of the shank stiifener and thus to insure that after the molding operation the width of the shank portion of the insole will accurately correspond to that of the shank portion of the last bottom so that the beveling of the marginal shank portion of the unit may be gaged from the edge of the insole in the shank portion of the unit as well as around the heel portion thereof where the width of the insole is not changed by the molding operation. By reference to Fig. 1 the amount of excess width in the shank portion of an insole will be apparent by referring to the dotted lines 24 which indicate the outline of the shank portion of an insole of normal width in its shank portion.

In making an insole unit the above-mentioned parts are assembled, as indicated in Fig. 5, with a heel and shank reinforcing piece I6 covering the upper side of the heel and shank portions of an insole I8 and with a shank stiffener 20 interposed between the reinforcing piece and the nsole and properly located lengthwise of the insole. Before the parts are thus assembled, however, the upper side of the heel and shank portions of the insole and the lower side of the reinforcing piece are coated with cement, for example latex, the parts being allowed to stand if necessary to permit the cement to become sufficiently tacky for use. Advantageously, as shown, the insole may be placed upon a lower molding form 26 having an upper surface shaped to impart the desired longitudinal and transverse curvatures to the shank portion of the unit and, after assembly of a shank stiffener and a reinforcing piece with the insole on the lower form 26, an upper form 28 having a lower surface complemental to that of the upper surface of the form 26 is employed to cooperate with the lower form to supply the pressure for adhesively attaching the parts of the unit and for molding the insole and the reinforcing piece. A suitable support 3D may be provided for supporting the forepart of the insole and a suitable toe gage 32 may be provided for locating the insole lengthwise relatively to the forms 26 and 28.

For the purpose of imparting flexibility to the forepart of the insole unit, the illustrated insole I8 is provided with a plurality of transverse grooves 34 in the lower side of its forepart and a thin facing layer 36 of sock lining or other flexible material is applied to the upper side of the forepart of the insole to reinforce it and to provide a smooth finished surface for engagement with the foot. Also, as shown, the reinforcing piece I6 is faced upon its upper side with a thin facing layer 38 of sock lining material to provide a finished surface for the interior of the heel and shank portion of the shoe. The employment of these layers 36 and 38 in the insole unit renders 75 lil.)

it unnecessary to apply a separate full length sock lining to the shoe after the shoe has been otherwise completed. Moreover, the layer 38, being of soft material, is further advantageous in cases where the outsole is secured to the shoe by through-and-through stitches in that the stitches sink in to the soft substance of the layer and lie substantially flush with the upper thereof so that no ridges are formed which might be uncomfortable to the foot. The component parts of the insole unit are indicated in Fig, 6 as they appear after having been assembled between the forms of the molding machine but before the molding operation has taken place. After the forms have cooperated to mold the heel and shank portions of the unit the unit appears as shown in Fig. 7. It will be observed that at this stage in the manufacture of the insole unit the marginal portions of the reinforcing piece i6 extend outwardly beyond the corresponding edges of the insole lil.

'Ihe next step consists in beveling the shank and` heel portion of the unit and simultaneously trimming off the surplus material of the reinforcing piece. As illustrated in Fig. 8, this trimming operation may be accomplished by the use of a machine such as that indicated in Fig. 8, the machine comprising upper and lower feed wheels 42 and dfi, respectively, arranged to cooperate to grip the insole unit and to advance its marginal portion progressively past an edge gage i6 and a beveling knife 53, the gage i6 being constructed and arranged to determine the widtlm/'ise` relation of the insole unit vto the knife 48 by engagement with the edge of the insole and the knife llt being shaped and arranged to trim the insole unit so as to provide a beveled edge which slopes inwardly at a substantial angle from the side of the reinforcing piece which is to face the foot when the unit is in a shoe.

As shown, a presser foot G may be employed to assist in holding the work in engagement with the lower feed wheel it. The illustrated edge gage 46 is slotted at 52 to receive the projecting margin of the reinforcing piece I5 so as to permit the work engaging face of the gage to bear against the edge of the insole. As indicated in Fig. 9 the edge gage it is located in advance of the beveling knife L18 so that it will engage the insole edge just ahead of the point where the cutting is to take place and where the insole edge is perpendicular to the surface of the insole and is in line with the edge of the last bottom. Thus, the upper or foot-facing side of the reinforcing piece will have imparted thereto, as a result of the beveling operation, an outline or edge contour which corresponds exactly to the edge contour of the insole before the latter was trimmed. After the above-described beveling operation has been performed the shank portion of the insole unit will appear as indicated in cross-section in Fig. 10.

In using the insole unit in making a shoe the unit is secured to the bottom of a last, such as the last 5E (Fig. il), an upper 58 is worked over the last and its margins secured by cement or otherwise in overlasted position upon the insole unit, and an outsole Sil is laid and secured tothe margins of the upper. The outsole may be secured to the upper by means of cement or, after the last has been removed, by means of stitches which extend through the upper and through the insole unit.

It will be seen` by reference to Fig. 1l that inasmuch as the insole unit has been trimmed in its shank and heel portions so that the reinforc ing piece corresponds in edge contour to that of the insole before the latter was trimmed, the side of the. insole unit which is next to the last will have an edge contour which coincides with that of the last bottom. Because of this fact and the fact that the margin of the insole unit has been beveled inwardly from the side which faces the last the slope of the beveled edges of the unit will merge or blend with the heightwise curvature of the last and there will be no break or interruption in the heightwise curve of the upper where the upper overlies the edge of the insole unit in the shank and heel portions of the shoe. Consequently the lines of the last will be faithfully reproduced in this portion of the shoe. Moreover, it will be appreciated that different sizes of reinforced insole units having the above-described characteristics of edge contour may be produced by the practice of my improved method without the expense and inconvenience of initially cutting out the reinforcing pieces so as to provide a different size for each size of insole and last.

I prefer to shape and arrange the beveling knife 48 as indicated in Fig. 8so as to provide a portion 62 of the cutting edge which is perpendicular to the surface of the facing layer 33. Thus, the knife instead of cutting'through the facing layer 38 at an angle will trim that layer so as to produce an edge which is perpendicular to its surface. This will promote clean cutting of the facing layer and prevent the formation thereon of a thin edge such as might tend to peel away from the reinforcing piece I6 and curl up more or less as the shoe is being worn.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United StatesV is:

1. That improvement in methods of making rem inforced insole units which consists in providing an insole and a shank reinforcing piece which is wider than the shank portion of the insole, assembling and securing together said parts with said reinforcing piece covering the upper side of the shank portion of said insole thereby providing a reinforced insole unit, and progressively beveling a lateral margin of said reinforcing piece and a corresponding lateral margin of the shank portion of said insole at the lower side of said unit While gaging the location of the beveling cut from the edge of the insole at points in advance of the point of operation of the beveling means so as to impart to the upper side of said reinforc ing piece a lateral edge contour corresponding to the original lateral edge contour of said insole.

2. That improvement in methods of making reinforced insole units which consists in assembling and securing together an insole and a shank piece which is at least as wide as the shank portion of the insole thereby providing a reinforced insole unit, molding said unit to adapt it to fit the bottom of a last, and thereafter progressively beveling a lateral margin of said reinforcing piece and a corresponding lateral margin of the shank portion of said insole at the lower side of said unit while moving said unit to advance its margin past a beveling tool and past an edge gage arranged to engage the edge of the insole and to locate the beveling cut so as to reproduce the edge contour of the insole at the upper side of the reinforcing piece.

3. That improvement in methods of making reinforced shoe bottom units which consists in securing to the upper or foot facing side of an insole a relatively narrow shank stiffener and a relatively stiff reinforcing piece which is at least as wide as the shank portion of the insole, securing to the upper side of said reinforcing piece a sock lining member of relatively soft material, thereby providing a reinforced shoe bottom unit, thereafter beveling inwardly from the upper side of said reinforcing piece the lateral shank portions of said reinforcing piece and said insole while gaging the location of the beveling cut from the unbeveled shank portions of the insole margin` and thereby reducing the width of the shank portion of the insole and imparting to the upper side of the reinforcing piece an edge contour corresponding to the original edge contour of the shank and heel portion of the insole, and simultaneously with said beveling operation trimming said sock lining member to the same contour as said reinforcing piece by a out at right angles to the surfaces of said member.

4. That improvement in methods of making reinforced insole units which consists in providing an insole with excess width in its shank portion, assembling with said insole a relatively narrow, longitudinally curved shank stiifener having also a substantial amount of transverse curvature and a shank reinforcing piece which is at least as wide as the shank portion of the insole and arranging said parts with the reinforcing piece at the upper side of the insole and with the shank stiffener interposed between the reinforcing piece and the insole, securing said parts together to provide a reinforced insole unit and molding the insole and the reinforcing piece to curve them longitudinally and to arch the shank portion of the insole transversely to conform to the transverse curvature of said shank stiifener and thus to reduce the width of said portion` of the insole, and progressively beveling the margin of the shank and heel portions of said unit at the lower side of the unit, thereby further reducing the width of the shank portion of the insole and trimming the sha-nk portion of the reinforcing piece to a contour corresponding to that of the molded but unbeveled insole while moving the unbeveled portion of the edge of the latter past an edge gage so arranged as to determine the location of the trimming cut.

5. That improvement in methods of making pluralities of reinforced insole units of different sizes which consists in providing a plurality of reinforcing pieces of the same size for use with a plurality of insoles of different sizes, all the reinforcing pieces being of a size to cover the heel and shank portions of the largest insole, secur! ing together the insoles and the reinforcing pieces with each reinforcing piece covering the heel and shank portion of an insole, thereby providing a plurality of reinforced insole units, and thereafter trimming the opposite lateral margins of the insole units, thereby reducing the width of the shank portions of the insoles and imparting to the reinforcing pieces lateral edge contours corresponding to the original lateral edge contours of the shank portions of the insoles while gaging the locations of the beveling cuts from the edges of the insoles at points in advance of the points of operations of the beveling means so as to impart to the upper sides of the reinforcing pieces contours corresponding to the original lateral edge contours of said insoles.

6. That improvement in methods of making reinforced insole units which consists in providing an insole previously cut to size and shape, securing to the upper side of said insole a heel and shank piece of a size larger than that of the heel and shank portion of said insole, thereafter forming in said reinforcing piece a cut in line with the edge of said insole, said out being perpendicular to the upper face of said piece and extending only part way through said piece from the upper side thereof and beveling said piece and said insole inwardly and downwardly from said cut while gaging the location of said cut from the unbeveled edge of said insole margin, thereby reducing the width of the shank portion of said insole and imparting to the upper side of said reinforcing piece an edge contour corresponding to the original edge contour of the shank portion of the insole.

JOHN M. WHELTON. 

